Glass showcases are commonly used in retail and department stores for displaying the merchandise which is to be sold. These showcases are generally attractive to the eye and possess internal lighting to show off the sales features of the merchandise for sale.
Knockdown showcases are a type of showcase which are shipped in parts and assembled at the retail store. This saves shipping costs. U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,823 to Schulze discloses a knockdown showcase designed for assembly at the point of sale in the retail store. Approximately 100 frame, fixture and panel parts are assembled on non-folding legs. A florescent light is included. This invention is not suited to trade show use because several hours of setup time are needed to assemble the showcase. Special packaging would be required to stabilize the hundreds of parts and the loose glass panels for shipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,593 to Takamizawa et al. discloses a collapsible retail display showcase. A rectangular bed frame is supported on four traditional legs. The bed frame supports two inverted U shaped frames and two hinged side frames. The invention enables a collapsing frame structure to support two sets of sliding doors, both front and rear. This device is not well suited for trade show use since there exist dozens of parts which would take considerable time to assemble as well as special shipping as well as a special shipping carton to hold the parts and the loose panels of glass.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,641 to Rand discloses a collapsible retail display table. It is designed to offer both sturdiness and rapid assembly. Two pair of rectangular cross sectional legs are supported by traditional folding struts which are affixed to the base of the table. This traditional folding table design offers excellent structural stability when assembled.
Incorporated herein by reference is U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,067 (1984) to Jenkins. The abstract of U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,067 follows: "A display case with a locking mechanism for securing display case components together comprising a first member including hook means, a second frame member including hook means adapted to interlock with the first member's hook means, and means for biasing the second member's hook means into engagement with the first member's hook means, so the first member's and the second member's hook means interlock."
Trade show retailers are seeking a faster way to set-up their trade show material within minutes upon arrival at the trade show. They do not wish to spend exorbitant monies for shipping large pre-assembled showcases. They require strong structural stability for the assembled display case. The present invention combines and improves all of the above noted art for knockdown showcases.